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STATE OF THE SCHOOL HMS Dean Recaps Extraordinary Year In his annual State of the School address, on Oct. 2, Joseph Martin, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, recapped "an extraordinary year" for HMS, including the creation of the School's first totally new basic science department in 20 years and the opening of the largest building ever constructed by Harvard University. In his State of the School address, HMS dean Joseph Martin gives his perspective on some of the major milestones of the past year, such as finishing the new research building and launching the Systems Biology Department. (Photo by Liza Green, HMS Media Services) The events marking the dedication of the new research building "were really momentous for many of us," he said. "We have come to think about the structure of Harvard Medical School as two Quads separated--but only slightly--by Longwood Avenue." Organizing Systems Biology Discussing the new Department of Systems Biology, he pointed out that "our investment in the formation of a new structure to house systems biology is a major departure from what has been done in most other institutions, where interdisciplinary or interdepartmental efforts have been made. It's the first completely new HMS Quad department since [the Genetics Department was created] nearly 22 years ago, and our plan is, over the course of the next five to 10 years, to recruit up to 20 faculty." In addition to Marc Kirschner, the founding chairman of systems biology, HMS faculty members Timothy Mitchison (currently the Hasib Sabbagh professor of cell biology) and Lewis Cantley (HMS professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center) "will form the nidus of the new department," Martin added. Kirschner previously was chair of the Department of Cell Biology. "We have come to think about the structure of Harvard Medical School as two Quads separated--but only slightly--by Longwood Avenue." --Joseph Martin Martin said that creating a department for systems biology--sometimes called "the new physiology"--in some ways represents a throwback to an earlier scientific era, with its renewed emphasis on organ systems and organisms as opposed to isolated genes and proteins. Pulling up a photo of the great HMS physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon, Martin recalled that "when Marc presented some of his ideas about this back in the winter, he referred to Walter Cannon, who I think probably turned over in his grave when we disposed of physiology 10 years ago.... I think he would be pleased that we've returned to this as a focus of our efforts." The dean welcomed Malcolm Cox, who arrived in May to become dean for medical education, and Jeffrey Newton, who joined the School as dean for resource development in August. He recognized several HMS leaders who have assumed new responsibilities in the recent administrative reorganization: Nancy Andrews, associate dean for basic science and graduate studies; Raphael Dolin, dean for academic and clinical programs; and Jules Dienstag, associate dean for academic and clinical programs. Martin led a round of applause for Dennis Kasper, who stepped down after six years as executive dean for academic programs to focus on leading the Channing Lab and the new biodefense and emerging infectious diseases initiative. Center for Cardiovascular Research Exemplifying the success of collaboration in the Harvard Medical community, Martin noted, is a $24-million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, establishing a cardiovascular clinical research center to develop new risk measures and biomarkers in atherosclerotic heart disease. "We're very proud of that joint effort. [Center director and Mallinckrodt professor of medicine] Peter Libby was extraordinarily innovative in bringing together a large community to work on this grant," he said, including researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and HMS. "It is not just a wonderful opportunity with a large amount of money, but it's an example of how collaboration can lead to a good endpoint." Turning to education, Martin outlined recommendations of the curriculum reform task force and discussed the next steps in the multiyear process of revamping the School's medical education system. In addition to possible changes in the curriculum itself, one recommendation--spurred in part by a National Academy of Sciences report--is to review and potentially revise requirements for admission to ensure that students who enter the School are well prepared. "One concern expressed in the report is that too often, the definition of what college science should be is focused around passing the MCAT to get into medical school," he said, "and this betrays what should be a broader interest in science at the college level." --Tom Reynolds